It's always pleasing to see virtually underrepresented sports getting full-blown game releases in this day and age. In the case of Handball 17, the game marks the second iteration of a re-branded series that got off to a disappointingly rocky start 12 months ago, suffering a generally negative reception from critics and fans alike.

When it comes to a game which offers online-only functionality, there are a couple of things which always come to mind to this writer.

First, it means the game needs to have a really good reason for being all online all the time. That typically means the experience cannot or would not be complete without it.

Second, it also means that no matter how any company spins it, the game in question has an expiration date at some point in the future and there's nothing you can do about it.

In Steep's case, the former is definitely not the case (the game would be perfectly fine without an online connection all of the time) and the second will definitely be the case at some point in the future, making the game unplayable to those who buy it.

To some OS'ers, this is probably not THAT big of a deal. Who plays a sports game for 6-7 years anyways, much less a decade or more? And really, internet connections are generally stable things these days -- but there are some instances where that isn't the case.

So what do you think? Is online-only functionality a problem to you? Do you think sports games should work to be playable offline or do you think a more connected future is better for us all anyways?

Sound off by voting in our poll and let us know what you think in the comments!

Shady has checked in with another NBA 2K17 montage, this one featuring Klay Thompson's 60 point game vs. the Indiana Pacers in 29 minutes. Amazing work, considering the director's cut isn't in the game. Check it out and post your thoughts.

The NASCAR Heat Evolution December DLC is scheduled to release on December 16, which includes a new discounted Pit Pass and 55 new Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup paint schemes. Check out the full details below.

Updated DLC

The Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Paint Scheme Pack 1: Complete your Chase field with an additional 55 schemes! If you own Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Paint Scheme Pack 1 or Pit Pass 1, you’ll get these new schemes FREE! If you purchase Chase Pack 1 or Pit Pass 1 moving forward, you will receive all 71 Chase schemes.

The December NBA Live Mobile update is available, adding 24 hour tournaments against other leagues, gameplay updates, NBA scoreboard, live event appointments, program filters for the auction house, set improvements and more. NBA Live Mobile is available for free on iOS and Android.

Check out the details below.

League Vs League Tournaments
One of the most requested features has arrived! You can now compete in 24 hour tournaments against other Leagues. Earn rewards and climb the leader boards with each win.

Work as a team and score as many points as possible to earn a win. Each member in the tournament will get to play 3 quarters. Select an opponent to play and score as many points as possible while playing good defense. Remember, your lineups will still score points for you when challenged against.

First select an opponent to challenge. Then the real strategy comes into play. You must pick the lineup you are going to play as and the lineup you are going to play against. Each lineup can only be played as and played against once per tournament.

For example, if I play against Mike’s Defensive lineup, then my teammate can’t play against Mike’s Defensive lineup. My teammate must pick a different lineup to challenge such as Mike’s Shooting lineup. Notice above that someone already played against Mike’s Big Man lineup so I can’t select that.

Best of all, playing in League Tournaments and completing achievements will unlock some awesome New League Master Players!

Gameplay Updates
We have continued to improve gameplay with this latest release. It’s headlined with Lineup Gameplay Styles. If you're not familiar, the game features five line-ups: Defensive, Small Ball, Shooting, Big Man and Two-Way. This is a feature I’m really excited about. The 5 core lineups will now feel and play more unique than ever before. The Defensive Lineup plays tighter defensive pressure, the Small Ball Lineup is quick and plays Up-Tempo, the Big Man Lineup will focus on inside post plays and specializes in Rebounds and Blocks, the Shooting Lineup will pass around the perimeter looking for that open 3-pointer, and the Two-Way lineup is the jack of all trades lineup that has no particular weakness.

This will create a new strategy going into the game, especially for League vs League Tournaments. Should I take my Up-Tempo Small Ball Lineup against the Half-Court rebounding specialist Big Man Lineup or maybe use my high pressure Defensive Lineup against my opponent’s Shooting Lineup?

Here is a breakdown of a few additions to the lineups:

Each lineup calls unique plays and formations.

Each lineup plays a set Tempo such as Balanced, Up-Temp, or Half Court.

Some lineups such as Big Man focus on Rebounding more. Each lineup has a Rebounding Type such as Get Back, Standard, or Crash the Boards.

Defensive Pressure is also something that each lineup focuses on differently. How tightly the defense plays against opponents with the ball and without the ball. The Defensive Lineup applies the most pressure, while the Shooting Lineup plays off the ball the furthest.

Pick and Roll Defense – Improvements to how the AI defends against the pick and roll (Switch, Show and Recover, and Trap).

Passing indicators – The player name is now displayed under the teammate who the ball will be passed to.

Improved responsiveness when tapping to Block or Rebound.

NBA Scores
Catch up on scores of your favorite teams with the addition of the NBA Scoreboard. Check when games start and view final scores.

Live Event Appointments
Never forget to play your favorite Live Event again. Anytime a Live Event has not started yet, just tap on the “Remind Me” button. Once the Live Event starts, you will receive a push note reminder that it’s now available to play. Try it out on some new Live Events coming your way like first to score, moving zones, sequence shot zones, and more.

Auction House
We added a Program Filter to help find items more easily.

Set Improvements
You can now quickly add items to a specific Set from the pack opening. Just tap the Set icon above an eligible item.

Within the Set breakdown view, the addition of the “Add All Items” button will quickly add all available items from your bench into the Set.

3on3 Freestyle features mythical U.S. playgrounds (Venice Beach, CA, ‘The Cage’ in Manhattan, NY, King Drew Magnet School in Compton, CA, and Rucker Park in Harlem, NY), a fun and energetic hip-hop soundtrack and an amazing street vibe – all as a tribute to today’s urban culture.

One of the elements that makes this game so fun is its Local Co-Op Online Multiplayer Option that allows three gamers “on the same couch” to challenge players from around the world.

Quote:

In 3on3 Freestyle, fifteen colorful, unique and recognizable male and female basketball players each have their own abilities and moves, being able to play a specific position. Players can use crisp passes, mesmerizing dribbling or force their way through defenders to win the game. Teammates must wisely pick their players in order to build the right team according to their preferred playstyle and their opponents. In addition to having different physical and technical attributes, each character has a specific backstory, written with the help of legendary writer Evan Skolnick, which unfolds along the player’s progress.

Key Game Features

Players: Each character wins points to unlock and upgrade their abilities, which includes dunks, long distance shots, stamina and more. Players must string their unique offensive and defensive skills into combos while keeping an eye on their team members’ capabilities.

Time Out: Teams can trigger the “substitution” mode for a limited number of times every game, allowing everyone to change their character. But, watch out, as this also means the other team of three players can pick new characters (or stick to the one they are already playing), adding to the strategic aspect of the game!

Couch Gaming: Local co-op online multiplayer option allows three gamers “on the same couch” to challenge players from around the world. It’s the new pizza night!

Game Modes: 3on3 Freestyle offers different game modes for unique experiences:

3 v 3 online: With friends at home and alongside players from across the world.

It is strange that after such a long drought we get two similar-in-concept snowboarding/winter sports games at almost the same time.

Steep, however, is a unique game and concept all its own after you play it awhile. Steep is a game consisting of four extreme sports: skiing, snowboarding, wingsuit flying and paragliding.

Not only are there four sports, there are a variety of event types from racing to extreme runs, with an interesting scoring system to boot. And to top all of that off, Steep has a huge open world to explore with literally hundreds of events to partake in.

There's a lot to love about Steep, with a few drawbacks along the way as well.

With Washington set to face Alabama in the College Football Playoff, Press Row Podcast host Bryan Wiedey is looking forward to a month of jousting with now-enemy Rich Grisham. After opening with some college football talk the two transition to an in-depth discussion on the just completed ‘Madden Classic’ eSports event. Topics broached later in the episode include how Golf Club VR and NBA 2KVR have been received, the shaky debut of NBA 2K17’s Park After Dark feature, MLB The Show 17’s announcement of a Retro Mode, new DLC on the way for Forza Horizon 3, and the release of a free-to-play version of Pro Evolution Soccer 2017.

In a recent non-scientific poll we conducted here on Operation Sports on the frontpage, more than 57% of Operation Sports readers who participated say they think the sports game release calendar is too condensed and needs to be spread out.

On the other side of the debate, 32% of OS'ers did not see a problem with the release schedule.

OS User DJ summed up the problem many sports game fans face in the replies to the post:

Quote:

"The condensed release schedule is something I'm not a fan of. Speaking just from a personal standpoint, it's hard for me to justify spending money on a new football, hockey, basketball and possible wrestling game within a 60-day window.

Along with the finances, there's also the issue of having enough time to actually play these games. It's difficult to find time to play one of these titles, let alone 3-4, which is unfortunate if you're a fan of the sports and games that are being released annually."

From a personal standpoint, this rings especially true. Granted, as the editor at Operation Sports I get early access to some games and get most of mine reimbursed -- but even doing that I run into a time crunch. To give games adequate time, I'm having to self-impose a more spaced out release schedule just so I can enjoy the games individually a bit more.

This year, our 'prime time' release season started with Madden on August 23. By the time WWE 2K17 dropped on October 11 -- we had had every major sports game release in that small window sans MLB The Show.

Contrast that schedule to the one where we used to have sports game releases start in June with a Golf or UFC title and go all the way into Mid-October with a WWE release.

It would seem an obvious move to possibly shift NBA 2K back into October closer to the tip-off of the NBA season and perhaps move FIFA up to the summer, before most club teams kick off their seasons worldwide. At that point, NHL would have room to breathe and so would the NBA franchise.

In reality, the WWE 2K franchise would probably do fine releasing on Black Friday or something like that -- as the WWE's prime time in their schedule is January - April in the lead up to Wrestlemania. But I'm just looking for ways to spread out the releases at this point from a consumer point of view.

So what do you think? How would you move the releases around to better serve customers? Sound off in the comments!

They're fine. I actually prefer an always connected experience.
I'd really prefer an offline way to play, but its not a bother.
I don't really like them, and am more reluctant to buy a game because of it.
I won't buy them. I want my games offline.